How much does a drywall installer make in Arkansas?
In Arkansas, drywall and ceiling tile installers earned an average of $20.87 an hour in May 2025, and the median was $21.42 an hour, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).
$20.87
$21.42
$30.58
$9.71 less an hour
$43,410
By the hour, the week and the year in Arkansas
At 40 hours a week, the average of $20.87 an hour comes to $834.80 a week. Over the 2,080-hour year the BLS uses for its annual figures, it comes to $43,410 a year, and the median of $21.42 to $44,554 a year.
In Arkansas, the average is $0.55 below the median (2.6%): a group of lower wages pulls the average down, and half of drywall and ceiling tile installers earn $21.42 an hour or more.
How does Arkansas compare?
The average in Arkansas is $9.71 below the national average of $30.58 (31.8% less), about $20,197 less a year at 2,080 hours.
By average wage, Arkansas ranks 48 of 49 states and DC with data for this trade (1 pays the most). The national median is $28.33 an hour.
Arkansas and its Census division, West South Central
Of the 4 states of the division with data for this trade, Arkansas pays the lowest average, $20.87; the next is Oklahoma with $22.18.
| State | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against Arkansas |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | $23.58 | $22.88 | +$2.71 |
| Louisiana | $23.24 | $22.80 | +$2.37 |
| Oklahoma | $22.18 | $22.15 | +$1.31 |
| Arkansas | $20.87 | $21.42 |
This trade and the others in Arkansas
Of the 5 trades this site prices, drywall and ceiling tile installers rank 2 of the 5 by average wage in Arkansas. Among them, the average runs from $13.86 (Cleaning) to $21.97 (Concrete).
| Trade | Average per hour | Median per hour | Against drywall |
|---|---|---|---|
| Concrete | $21.97 | $22.23 | +$1.10 |
| Drywall | $20.87 | $21.42 | |
| Painting | $20.28 | $19.28 | -$0.59 |
| Landscaping | $17.34 | $17.20 | -$3.53 |
| Cleaning | $13.86 | $13.44 | -$7.01 |
Against the minimum wage in Arkansas
The minimum wage in Arkansas is $11.00 an hour for most employers. The median of drywall and ceiling tile installers, $21.42, is $10.42 above it, 94.7% more than the minimum. Over 2,080 hours the minimum comes to $22,880 a year.
From wage to rate
This is what an employer pays an employee, not what a contractor bills. Your rate also has to cover your overhead (vehicle, insurance, tools), your profit, and the hours you cannot bill.
If you pay a helper the median wage in Arkansas, $21.42 an hour, the 8 hours of the starting job of the drywall calculator cost $171.36 in wages. With its $255.00 of materials, 10% overhead and 15% profit, the quote comes to $539.35; at the national median, $28.33, the same job comes to $609.27. A wage is only the floor: your own rate also pays your taxes, your unbilled hours and your business.